My good old (rich) cuz was in Penang once again and kindly invited her country cousin to dinner, so off we trot to Ocean Green in Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, one of her favourites, for some seafood. This must be one of the most well-known places in town – despite the fact that it was a Thursday night it was quite packed. Many people go there because it’s become a Penang institution.
After she ordered I piped up with a, “Oh yes I interviewed Dato’ Kee (Phaik Cheen) recently, and she told me that the Fish Assam Pedas with Bee Hoon from here is one of her favourites.” At that my cousin promptly changed her order of steamed fish to that.
First to come were some plain steamed large prawns.
They were very fresh, and went well with their home-made chilli sauce. I would have liked it even more if they had marinated it with a bit of salt (or soya sauce) and a pinch of sugar because it would have given the meat a bit more taste. As it was, even with the chilli sauce it was just slightly insipid.
Next came a soft and tasty taufu kerabu, and then the piece de resistance – Fish Assam Pedas with Bee Hoon. One served oneself with a bit of blanched bee hoon and bean sprouts, then poured the curry sauce over. Honest verdict? It wasn’t brilliant. A good Assam Pedas has got kick: sour, spicy, sweet and salty. It was bland, and there really wasn’t enough sauce to go with the amount of bee hoon they served. "So much for Dato Kee's recommendation," she mumbled. Still, at least the fish was fresh.
The baked crabs were also disappointing: mushy and tasteless, unless you doused it with the choon peah sauce (Worcester Sauce and chopped chilli), at which it tasted, surprise surprise, just like Worcester Sauce and chopped chilli!
Having said that, I like the old-fashioned feel to the place - esp the hotel opposite which seems to have been there since time immemorial. The seaside atmosphere brings back memories of childhood when things weren’t all air-conditioned, and you could sit down to a slap-up meal and tuck in with just the sea breeze to cool you down.
After she ordered I piped up with a, “Oh yes I interviewed Dato’ Kee (Phaik Cheen) recently, and she told me that the Fish Assam Pedas with Bee Hoon from here is one of her favourites.” At that my cousin promptly changed her order of steamed fish to that.
First to come were some plain steamed large prawns.
They were very fresh, and went well with their home-made chilli sauce. I would have liked it even more if they had marinated it with a bit of salt (or soya sauce) and a pinch of sugar because it would have given the meat a bit more taste. As it was, even with the chilli sauce it was just slightly insipid.Next came a soft and tasty taufu kerabu, and then the piece de resistance – Fish Assam Pedas with Bee Hoon. One served oneself with a bit of blanched bee hoon and bean sprouts, then poured the curry sauce over. Honest verdict? It wasn’t brilliant. A good Assam Pedas has got kick: sour, spicy, sweet and salty. It was bland, and there really wasn’t enough sauce to go with the amount of bee hoon they served. "So much for Dato Kee's recommendation," she mumbled. Still, at least the fish was fresh.
The baked crabs were also disappointing: mushy and tasteless, unless you doused it with the choon peah sauce (Worcester Sauce and chopped chilli), at which it tasted, surprise surprise, just like Worcester Sauce and chopped chilli!
Having said that, I like the old-fashioned feel to the place - esp the hotel opposite which seems to have been there since time immemorial. The seaside atmosphere brings back memories of childhood when things weren’t all air-conditioned, and you could sit down to a slap-up meal and tuck in with just the sea breeze to cool you down.
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